


Brave Little Prince

by pinkwinwin



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Pining, Sleeping Together, [takes a drag of a cigarette] where are all the woocas fics my dude, if I have to craft the ship myself I will
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-06-25 19:21:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15647298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkwinwin/pseuds/pinkwinwin
Summary: He doesn’t need to look up at Yukhei to know his gaze is fixated on the patterned carpet beneath them. Still, Jungwoo takes in every word, every note that Yukhei sings for him. When he finishes, Jungwoo whispers a quiet ‘thank you’ and places a kiss at the base of Yukhei’s neck.This, Yukhei tells himself, is progress.(or: the three times Yukhei sings for Jungwoo, and the one time he doesn't have to.)





	Brave Little Prince

“Yukhei, sing to me.”

 

The quiet voice almost didn’t register to Yukhei, the already soft-spoken boy nuzzling into his chest only muffled his words further. Yukhei carded his hand through silvery-gray hair and hummed thoughtfully. He was awakened twenty minutes ago by the older man, creeping into his dorm and peeling back the covers just enough to slip into Yukhei’s bed. This had become common on nights when Kun was away, so much so that Yukhei was no longer surprised when he heard the quiet footsteps coming from down the hall.

 

“It’s like, 2AM” Yukhei groaned, letting his head fall back into the comfort of his pillow. He could feel the grip Jungwoo had on his t-shirt tighten ever so slightly, a sign that he was anxious.

 

“I can’t sleep” he whispered, the vibrations of his words against Yukhei’s chest making the younger tighten his grip around Jungwoo’s shoulder. Yukhei sighed, his breath ruffling Jungwoo’s silvery locks slightly. The sound of the clock ticking on the nightstand mingled with the sound of their breathing, but after a moment Yukhei’s clear voice cut through the room.

 

“Fine.”

 

Jungwoo starts to look up at Yukhei, but the latter holds him against his chest as he begins to hum a familiar melody. The hum gradually turns to singing, with Yukhei’s voice quiet and low in the dark room. It’s some nonsense pop song that Yukhei heard blaring from Kun’s phone the other day, it’s melody stuck in his head ever since. As he sings, he feels the older man relax into his chest, loosening his grip on the front of his shirt. Yukhei’s voice wavers, not used to such an intimate moment so he threads his fingers through Jungwoo’s hair to distract him from the nerves.

 

It wasn’t that Yukhei wasn’t used to singing-- quite the opposite, really-- but there was something so intimate, so vulnerable about being one-on-one as opposed to singing with the rest of the members. It didn’t help that the man under his touch toed the line somewhere between a friend and something more, at least in Yukhei’s mind. As he sang, Yukhei could only hope that Jungwoo was too caught up in his voice or already slipping into the clutches of sleep so he couldn’t pick up on the racing of his heart-- but the older man’s ear pressed against his chest told him otherwise. A part of Yukhei was grateful when he felt the grip on his shirt fall slack and Jungwoo’s breathing turning to something steady and deep.

 

Another part of him, however, felt the gnawing mix of disappointment and anxiety, but he couldn’t yet place why.

 

 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　☾　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

 

 

The dressing room was stiflingly warm, the movement of nearly two dozen people in and out of the already-cramped area was nearly suffocating Yukhei. Waving off the makeup artist that was pressing a dark shadow to his lashes, he ripped a tissue from the vanity and pressed it against his neck. After a moment he removed the tissue and grimaced at the slight dampness where his sweat bled into the paper. He slipped out of his chair, giving Taeyong a slight nod as the older man was chatting with the hair stylist taming his fiery red locks. Yukhei dodged several members as he made his way to the hallway, tossing the crumpled tissue in the trash just before he opened the door. He liked to take a few minutes before every performance to be by himself, to focus his thoughts on the task at hand. Walking down the hall, Yukhei intended to find a nearby window to get some fresh air to clear his mind. What he didn’t expect to find at the end of the space was a familiar figure sitting against the wall with his knees tucked under his chin.

 

“What are you doing out here?” Yukhei asks as he leans down to take the older man in. A pair of large eyes peek out from behind heavy silvery bangs, clouded with an emotion Yukhei is all too aware of: the foreboding sense of anxiety.

 

“I’m nervous” Jungwoo replies, the words slipping out of his mouth seeming to make him wither. He tightens his arms around his legs, resting his chin on his knees and looking up at the younger man. Yukhei sighs, letting his shoulders slump and glancing around for a moment. When he sees no sign of anyone else in the area, he sits next to Jungwoo and presses his back to the wall. As if on instinct, Jungwoo rests his head on Yukhei’s shoulder. The action makes him reach his hand out, letting Jungwoo intertwine their fingers in an act of comfort.

 

“What if I mess up?” Jungwoo whispers after a minute, meek voice barely reaching Yukhei’s ears. The younger man tilts his head against Jungwoo’s gently.

 

“You’re not gonna mess up” Yukhei replies, keeping his tone light to ease his friend’s anxiety. He squeezes Jungwoo’s hand in reassurance, taking note of how his hand seems to engulf the older boy’s. “Did I ever tell you about one of my first concerts?”

 

“No” Jungwoo says simply, playing with a piece of lint on his jeans and refusing to look at Yukhei.

 

“I almost fell flat on my ass during the dance break. I could’ve taken down Taeyong-hyung with me” he says, a grin playing upon his features. “I was so pissed off at first, but looking back it was hilarious.” He hears Jungwoo chuckle quietly below him, his breath tickling against Yukhei’s neck. It soon dies off and leaves the pair in silence, but Yukhei can feel the nerves still radiating off the older man. He lifts their still-intertwined hands up to his face and inspects Jungwoo’s fingers, noticing the perfectly manicured nails and tanned skin.

 

“When I was little” Yukhei began, turning over their hands gently. “My mom would sing me this song when I got scared or upset.” He feels Jungwoo inhale, lifting his head just enough to look at Yukhei’s profile. The latter doesn’t look back, instead focusing his attention of the floor in front of them.

 

“Really?” Jungwoo asks, hesitant to ask the question on the tip of his tongue. Yukhei nods slightly, eyes still trained on the floor, when Jungwoo asks “what was it?”

 

The two are silent for a moment, and Jungwoo almost wonders if he’s tread too far. He nestles back down into Yukhei’s side, squeezing his hand ever so slightly.

 

It was then that Yukhei’s steady voice began to sing.

 

It was a song in a language Jungwoo was unfamiliar with, the characteristics of that of a child’s lullaby. Jungwoo felt himself relaxing at the song, it’s calming effects working it’s magic on him. He doesn’t need to look up at Yukhei to know his gaze is fixated on the patterned carpet beneath them. Still, Jungwoo takes in every word, every note that Yukhei sings for him. When he finishes, Jungwoo whispers a quiet _‘thank you’_ and places a kiss at the base of Yukhei’s neck.

 

This, Yukhei tells himself, is progress.

 

 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　☾　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

 

 

Among things that Yukhei grew accustomed to as an idol, spending half of the year shuffling from one hotel to another was one of them. That’s why when he dumped his bag at the foot of the twin-sized bed, he was already looking forward to crawling underneath stark white sheets and sleeping off the jetlag that hung about his shoulders and pinched his neck awkwardly. He stretched his long arms above his head, using one of his feet to step on the back of his shoe to peel it off. He was already out of his shoes and sliding out of his jacket when he noticed a figure standing in the doorway.

 

“Hyung, what are you doing? Get ready for bed” Yukhei said, brow furrowed as he tossed his jacket on a nearby chair and ran his fingers through his hair. He watched as Jungwoo played nervously with the zipper on his bag, shuffling into the room quietly and resting the black overnight bag on the corner of the bed. Yukhei shrugged at his behavior, instead pulling out a pair of pajamas and his toothbrush. Brushing by Jungwoo doing the same, Yukhei shut himself in the bathroom.

 

He figured a shower would be the best course of action, so Yukhei started the water and stepped in once the mirror began to steam up. The hot water felt heavenly on his aching bones, and by the time he was clean he felt utterly relaxed. Throwing on his clothes, Yukhei toed quietly out of the bathroom. The light from the room illuminated the rest of the hotel suite, and he could faintly make out a Jungwoo-shaped lump huddled beneath the covers. Yukhei flicked the lights off, and the room was painted in darkness save for the blue-white tone of the moon peeking through the curtains. That was when Yukhei discovered it was storming outside, the sound of the shower likely drowning out the sound until now.

 

Shrugging, Yukhei silently slipped into the empty bed across from Jungwoo, eager for a night’s sleep. He found the sound of rain relaxing, and soon he felt his body melt into the mattress and his thoughts become hazy. Just as he was drifting off to sleep, a loud clap of thunder rolled over the sky. It wasn’t the sound that woke him up, however-- it was the accompanying _thump_ and groan from the bed next to him that had Yukhei switching on the bedside lamp.

 

“What are you doing?” Yukhei asked groggily, noticing that Jungwoo was sitting up in bed and rubbing his head. He was grimacing, and he squinted at Yukhei in the sudden flood of orange-yellow light in the room.

 

“Guess the noise scared me, I hit my head on the headboard” he whispered, pain leaking into his voice. Yukhei’s brows knitted together, taking in the older boy’s appearance before the thought hit him.

 

“Jungwoo” he murmured, question heavy on his tongue. “Are you scared of thunderstorms?” The question made Jungwoo freeze, his fingers woven through sandy strands of his hair. After a minute, his hand dropped in his lap and he looked down at the crumpled sheets about his waist.

 

“Yeah” he replies, his voice barely registering to Yukhei’s half-asleep state. The younger boy scooted over in bed, peeling back the covers and patting the now-empty space beside him.

 

“Come here” he says, already nestling down into the sheets. Jungwoo stares at the spot hesitantly for a moment before crawling out of his own bed and curling up besides Yukhei. He melts into the crevice between Yukhei’s shoulder and neck, his breath tickling the younger boy’s skin. Yukhei wraps his broad arm around Jungwoo, tucking him in closer to his own body. He pulls the covers over both of them, until they’re practically tucked under both of their chins.

 

The room is silent save for the pattering of rain outside, and Jungwoo stiffens under Yukhei’s touch when another roll of thunder fills the air. After it passes, Yukhei noses into Jungwoo’s hair and breaths in the scent of vanilla and almond. A sleepy grin plays on his face, and soon the words fall out of his mouth easily.

 

It’s a song, the same song that Yukhei found himself singing to Jungwoo on numerous occasions. He knew the lyrics by heart, it was a lullaby that his mother sang to him whenever he was scared or couldn’t sleep. As he sang, Yukhei felt the older boy relax into his embrace. Jungwoo’s fingers wove into the fabric of Yukhei’s shirt, this time a comforting hold instead of an anxious one. After Yukhei finished singing, Jungwoo’s soft voice reached his ears.

 

“You never did tell me what language that song is in or what it’s about” he says, face half-buried into Yukhei’s neck. The younger boy laughs, quiet but deep.

 

“It’s a Thai lullaby, my mom used to hear it growing up so I guess it was familiar to her or something” he replies. “It’s about a brave little prince.” “Hmm, that’s nice” Jungwoo says thoughtfully, suppressing a yawn. “It’s fitting, for you anyway.” The casual response makes Yukhei balk, eyes wide, and he’s thankful that Jungwoo can’t see his face in the darkness. Instead, he licks his dry lips and presses a chaste kiss to the top of Jungwoo’s head.

 

“Yeah yeah, get some rest you sap” he replies, knowing Jungwoo is already in the clutches of sleep. That’s enough reassurance for Yukhei, a thought to still his fast-beating heart.

 

 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　☾　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

 

 

There are some moments, in between bursts of laughter with members over some nonsense joke and late-night dance practices, where Yukhei feels unbearably lonely. It sneaks up on him, wrapping it’s strong arms around his torso and pulling him down into a sea of longing. He misses his mother’s love-filled cooking, his father’s footsteps coming home after work, the sound of his neighborhood on a summer’s night. It’s nights like these where it hits him especially hard, and Yukhei finds himself dragging his body into his dorm bed. Not even bothering to strip off his sweaty shirt, he kicks off his shoes somewhere in the room and lets himself fall face-first into the duvet.

 

The room is dark, save for the night light Kun insisted on having near the door. Yukhei pries his face out of the cotton deathtrap that is his comforter, turning his face to the wall his bed is pressed up against. In the low light, he traces out figures in the nonsense patterns of the spackling covering the room. He’s on his third round of picking out faces in the rough texture when he hears his door creak open.

 

“Don’t wanna talk about it, Kun” he says briskly into the dark. He expected the older boy to come after him, not unfamiliar with the faraway look that homesickness brings a person. When he hears no reply, Yukhei rolls his eyes and pushes his cheek farther into the mattress. Hoping his roommate will go away, he returns to staring at the fading white paint on the wall when he feels a pair of slender arms loop under his own. He starts, but the arms press up against his front, their owner pushing their chest into Yukhei’s back. He smells a mix of almond and vanilla, and a warm breath tickles the shell of his ear.

 

“What are you doing here?” he asks flatly, trying to calm his rapid heartbeat. Jungwoo doesn’t reply, instead letting out another breathy sigh against Yukhei’s skin. He’s feeling stubborn, so he refuses to face the older boy and instead screws his eyes shut.

 

In the quiet darkness of the room, a voice begins to sing. It’s small and shaky, clearly unfamiliar with the foreign language. Yukhei’s eyes snap open and go wide, knowing the melody that had comforted him for so many years. Jungwoo’s voice is always beautiful, but it’s especially so as it sings something so special, so _important_ to Yukhei. He finds himself reaching up, intertwining his fingers with Jungwoo’s and letting them rest against his chest. He listens as Jungwoo gets every lyric, every note right, and finds himself squeezing his hands when he’s finished.

 

“When did you get the time to learn all that?” Yukhei whispers, not daring to face the older boy. Jungwoo laughs quietly, playing with Yukhei’s fingers.

 

“I’ve heard it so many times from you, I guess I’ve been practicing” he replies, snuggling into his back. “Sorry if my pronunciation was bad.” Yukhei doesn’t know how to respond, much less face Jungwoo, so he takes in a shaky breath. Jungwoo continues on, soft voice filling the space between them.

 

“It seemed like you could use it, you always sing it for me when I’m feeling bad or scared. I saw you slip away from the group, and you looked so sad and I just… I don’t know” he trails off, pressing his forehead to the space between Yukhei’s shoulder blades. “I just wanted you to feel as loved as I do when you sing for me.”

 

The affection Yukhei has been trying to hold back for months, maybe even years, blossoms out of his chest like a bouquet of roses. He turns in Jungwoo’s grip until he’s facing the older boy, and he sees his wide, hopeful eyes. Perhaps home isn’t a place anymore, maybe it’s a feeling-- and Yukhei realizes that feeling is nestled in the ribcage of the boy in front of him. As if on impulse, he cups Jungwoo’s face and kisses him slow. Their lips slot together as if they were made for each other, and he feels Jungwoo smile into the kiss. He pulls Yukhei closer by his t-shirt, eagerly threading his fingers into his hair. Their languid kiss turns into Yukhei pressing soft kisses to Jungwoo’s nose, cheeks, even his eyelids-- the last of them accompanied by Jungwoo’s musical laughter.

 

“You’re perfect” Yukhei breathes, thumbing across Jungwoo’s cheek. The older boy smiles, pressing their foreheads together and looking into his eyes. Jungwoo kisses Yukhei again, taking his time to run his tongue across his bottom lip. Jungwoo pulls away until there’s a mere centimeter between their lips, breathing heavy.

 

“And you’re my brave little prince” he whispers, barely able to get the words out before Yukhei pulls him close once again. This time it’s playful, Yukhei smiling so wide the kiss is mostly teeth. He heard Jungwoo laugh again, and he thinks it’s the second best sound he’s ever heard-- so he tells him so.

 

“What’s the first then?” Jungwoo asks, smiling smugly and playing with the hair at the nape of Yukhei’s neck. The answer is an easy one.

 

“Your singing, will you do it again?” Yukhei asks, eyes sparkling in the low light of the room. The answer makes Jungwoo smile turn into something softer, and he slides one hand down until it’s pressed against Yukhei’s heart.

 

Fulfilling Yukhei’s request, Jungwoo begins the lullaby once again.

 

 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　☾　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hello my wonderful readers, I'm back with another woocas (or _luwoo,_ if you will) fic! 
> 
> I’ve had this one sitting in my drafts for a while and I couldn’t figure out how to progress it for the longest time, but recently I had some spur-of-the-moment energy and decided to finish it. Maybe it’s the abundance of iced coffee in my system, or maybe I just missed these two little nerds (spoiler alert-- it was _both_ ).
> 
> When I write, I usually do the totally fun and not-at-all stressful thing where I blare music while I’m working. Spotify tells me I’ve essentially listened to one song on repeat while I wrote this, so I figured I’d link you guys to the gem behind the fic. It’s this song which is “Comes & Goes” by La Felix. It’s pretty upbeat but the lyrics are a little melancholy, which I think fits these two pretty well if I’m honest.
> 
> ANYWAYS comments and kudos are appreciated! ❤ also come say hi to me on Twitter and Curious Cat because I have a lot to say about NCT and I wanna hear your thotz, too. Much love! 
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/pinkrosewinwin)
> 
> [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/pinkrosewinwin)


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